“READY?” is a reflective dialog tool developed within the BeBeRobot research project, with contributions from the University of Siegen (Chair of Information Systems, especially “IT for the Ageing Society,” Prof. Dr. Claudia Müller and Dr. Richard Paluch). It is designed to support stakeholders from care facilities and services in their reflection on the use of robotic systems for nursing care. It includes a digitally supported question catalog, collaboratively completed in on-site workshops with multiple stakeholder groups. The catalog covers the following categories: “Care”, “Privacy and Legal Issues”, “Ethical Criteria”, “Technology and Infrastructure”, “Institutional and Social Embeddedness”, and “Economic Criteria” (Paluch et al. 2025, https://doi.org/10.1515/icom-2025-0010). The question catalog is available at the following link: https://github.com/BeBeRobot/Bewertungstool
Complementing the tool, the moderation handbook provides practical guidance for preparing, conducting, and following up on reflection processes related to the use of robotics for nursing care with “READY?”. It includes frameworks, appropriation suggestions and moderation recommendations to support structured and open discussions during workshops. The handbook can be downloaded here: https://www.pflege-und-robotik.de/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Moderationshandbuch_READY.pdf
The conceptual foundations and scientific background of the tool are described in the academic article “READY? – Reflective dialog tool on issues relating to the use of robotic systems for nursing care” by Lienenbrink et al. (2025): https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.1515/icom-2024-0043/html
After intensive workshops, the Zukunft Akademie celebrated its final event in the Fab Lab of the University of Siegen. Ten talented children presented their creative graduation projects in an interactive project gallery.
They are between 12 and 16 years old, but have great technical and creative skills: Ten young participants participated in workshop modules in the Fab Lab, the creative workshop of the University of Siegen, in the past five months. At the end they presented their projects. The children combined AI-generated stories with 3D-printed models and interactive touch sensors that they had programmed with the Calliope Mini.
First, each group presented their project in three minutes. Afterwards, the jury and the guests had the opportunity to evaluate the projects. The evaluation was based on the criteria: innovation, creativity and originality, technical implementation, narrative structure, visual/sound design and presentation skills.
The winning projects are:
Place: Dawn of Tribes by Émile Julian Schneider – Price: Calliope Mini Microcontroller
Place: The Last Loaf by Dorothea Breichler – Price: PLA filaments for 3D printing
Place: A debt unpaid by David Fedorenko and Vladyslav Halevych – Price: Arduino Uno Microcontroller
In addition to the main prizes, all received a certificate of participation from the University of Siegen as well as a personalized, laser-engraved badge in recognition of their individual achievements in the various modules.
Parents, guests and the jury were impressed by the innovative power and commitment of the children. They had participated in a total of five workshop modules: 3D printing and 3D modeling, programming with Calliope Mini, sugar measurement with the photometer, storytelling with AI, interactive storytelling.
The Zukunft Akademie is part of the project EnvironMINT, an application-oriented research project that deals with the creative teaching of STEM topics (mathematics, computer science, natural sciences and technology) to young people. The participatory approach is particularly noteworthy: Together with young people, parents, teachers and practical actors, a concept for extracurricular STEM activities is being developed. The focus is on so-called maker activities, which include not only technological but also artistic aspects.
The project EnvironMINT is a research project of the University of Siegen and is funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF).
The Fab Lab Siegen is rensed by Prof. Dr. Claudia Müller. The management and project management are in the hands of Marios Mouratidis. The research assistants Karina Oliveira, Ontika Nazmun and Hina Firdaus are responsible for the content and operational planning of the Zukunft Academy.
In the picture (top row, from left): Timofii Tkachenko, Artem Korovushkin, Adam Kostiv, Dorothea Breichler, David Fedorenko, Vlad Halevych, Marios Mouratidis, Karina Oliveira, Nazmun Ontika, Hina Firdaus. Bottom row (from left): Makar Halevych, Émile Julian Schneider, Kirill Giesbrecht.
At the DGGG Congress in Kassel in September 2024, Dr. Richard Paluch was elected co-spokesperson of the Expert Committee on Ageing and Technology. The Expert Committee on Ageing and Technology is committed to practical solutions that help to improve the quality of life of older people through the targeted use of socio-technical innovations: https://fa-alter-technik.de/.
Dr. Richard Paluch will contribute the socio-informatics perspective and will be particularly committed to interdisciplinary cooperation and the practice-based and participatory (further) development of user-centred technologies.
The electronic patient record (ePA) was launched in Germany on January 15, 2025. This means a further step towards a more digitalized healthcare system. Health data can now be stored and processed more easily, e.g. the exchange of medical documents between doctors, pharmacists, clinics and patients is made easier as documents are available digitally now. However, the introduction of the ePA is not only associated with advantages, but also with challenges, unanswered questions and concerns, e.g. regarding data protection.
In cooperation with the digital doctors’ and health center (DFGZ) in Olpe of the “Spieren & Kollegen” doctor’s office (https://spieren.de/dfgz/), the chair “Information Systems, esp. IT for the Ageing Society“ therefore held an information and discussion event simultaneously on site in Olpe and Siegen on 8 January 2025. The doctor’s office “Spieren & Kollegen” invited its patients to Olpe, where experts from a medical association (KVWL) and representatives of health insurance companies gave presentations and answered questions. This was broadcast live to the University of Siegen, where interested researchers, students and citizens came together to join in the discussion online.
This was followed by a second part in Siegen. Digitization expert and member of the state parliament Julia Eisentraut (Bündnis 90/Die Grünen, https://julia-eisentraut.de/) opened up political perspectives on the topic and then answered questions from the participants. Bernd Mäckeler from the group “Grüne Alte” in Siegen was also involved in preparing the event. Together with his colleagues and with the support of the chair, he is committed to promoting the digital skills of older adults in Siegen and the surrounding area.
From the chair sub-project A05 “The Cooperative creation of user autonomy in the context of the ageing society” of the Collaborative Research Centre “Media of Cooperation”, represented by Dennis Kirschsieper, and the sub-projects “Health & Ageing” and “Social & Inclusion” of the FUSION project, represented by Stephan Krayter, were involved in the organization and implementation of the event. Further cooperative events on the digitalization of the healthcare system are planned in order to involve citizens in research and to jointly improve medical treatment and social care in the region.
The first pilot tests for the KnowledgeBadge “Teaching Accessibly” were conducted at the end of November, including at the University of Siegen. The Chair of Prof. Dr. Claudia Müller (Information Systems, especially IT for the Aging Society) is an associate partner in the Shuffle project. This project developed a free online course on this topic, which provides foundational information about the diversity of user needs, the creation of accessible documents, and specific requirements in the higher education context. The course is freely accessible online for everyone.
Sven Bittenbinder, a research associate at Claudia Müller’s chair, is a member of the organizational team for the KnowledgeBadge tests and brought the examination to Siegen. He expressed his excitement about the successful tests: “The idea of creating a compact learning course for educators that offers foundational understanding and practical examples for direct application […] moves us and the University of Siegen further toward equal opportunities and inclusion!” The practical focus of the course and the exam supports the university’s efforts in this direction.
Two additional members of the Chair of Information Systems, especially IT for the Aging Society, Sandra Butzek and Claudius Clüver, promptly registered for the first pilot tests. They have now demonstrated their knowledge of inclusion and accessibility by earning the KnowledgeBadge “Teaching Accessibly.”
“The course is very manageable to complete alongside other commitments within 2-4 weeks,” Claudius Clüver explained. “For those who prefer to delve deeper into the details, we are considering offering an in-person course in the future. I’d be thrilled if we could inspire more people to engage with the topic of accessibility,” added Sven Bittenbinder.
Further information can be found at the following links:
Chair of Information Systems, especially IT for the Aging Society, University of Siegen: italg.wineme.uni-siegen.de
Free online course “Teaching Accessibly”: hdm-stuttgart.de
IAAP-D-A-CH information on the KnowledgeBadge and exam dates: iaap-dach.org
In the picture (from left to right): Sven Bittenbinder, Claudius Clüver, Sandra Butzek
On November 20, 2024, the second symposium on networking in regional healthcare took place in the Kulturhaus LŸZ in Siegen under the title “Offers that arrive”. The event was organized by the University of Siegen in cooperation with the Siegerland health region, the Siegen-Wittgenstein district, the Dementia Care Management network, the Alzheimer Gesellschaft Siegen-Wittgenstein e.V., the Caritasverband Siegen-Wittgenstein e.V. and the regional office for ageing, care and dementia. The aim was once again to network important players in regional healthcare in order to improve healthcare in the region.
Dennis Kirschsieper received the award in Hamburg.
Our chair staff members Tanja Aal and Dennis Kirschsieper from the Collaborative Research Center “Media of Cooperation” at the University of Siegen have been awarded for a joint research project with citizens. The researchers, led by socio-informatics specialist Tanja Aal, won second place in the “Knowledge of the Many – Research Award for Citizen Science”.
Together with citizens in Switzerland, researchers from the University of Siegen developed a help platform for older people. To start, the team conducted interviews with elderly people in a rural community near Zurich, as well as with caregivers, to identify needs and requirements. Based on the findings, a prototype of a community platform was developed, aiming to facilitate the search and offer of help in a low-barrier way. Older individuals were actively involved as co-researchers throughout the entire process and were equally integrated. The team has now been recognized for this form of “Citizen Science” (collaborative research with citizens): The researchers, led by Siegen-based socio-informatics specialist Tanja Aal, won second place in the “Knowledge of the Many – Research Award for Citizen Science” and received a prize of 10,000 euros.
“Of course, we are very pleased with this recognition of our work. Actively involving citizens in research is an important concern for us. Technologies like our help platform only work in practice if they are accepted by future users and are precisely tailored to their needs,” says Tanja Aal. Citizen science in qualitative social research is “very close to people” and therefore places special demands on scientists: “Processes have to be negotiated together again and again, which requires sensitivity and a high degree of self-reflection. At the same time, this type of research is very social and enriching.”
The development of the help platform for older people was carried out as part of a subproject at the Collaborative Research Center “Media of Cooperation” at the University of Siegen, under the direction of Prof. Dr. Claudia Müller. Together with Dennis Kirschsieper, Prof. Müller and Tanja Aal are investigating cooperative and practice-based design approaches for sociotechnical infrastructures for aging societies. The platform, which emerged from the Swiss citizen science project, has since been further developed in Germany and is soon to enter its trial phase as a real platform. The “Knowledge of the Many – Research Award for Citizen Science” was presented at the “Forum Citizen Science” conference in Hamburg. The award winners were selected by a jury of interdisciplinary professors. First place went to biologist Julia von Gönner from Friedrich Schiller University in Jena for a citizen science project on stream water quality. Third place was awarded to historian Prof. Dr. Boris Dreyer from FAU Erlangen-Nuremberg for a book project about an ancient Roman boat from the 1st century.
Background:
The “Knowledge of the Many – Research Award for Citizen Science,” first announced in 2023, honors scientists for outstanding scientific achievements in the application of citizen science. The award is endowed with prize money of 20,000 euros for first place, 10,000 euros for second place, and 5,000 euros for third place. The prize money enables the award winners to further expand their activities in the field of citizen science. The award is presented by the organization “Science in Dialogue” and the Museum of Natural History Berlin, and is funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research. The award will be presented again in 2025.
Contact:
Tanja Aal (Collaborative Research Center Media of Cooperation)
Email: tanja.ertl@uni-siegen.de
Tel.: +49 271 740 4036
Dennis Kirschsieper, Prof. Dr. Claudia Müller, and Tanja Aal from the Collaborative Research Center “Media of Cooperation,” together with citizens in Switzerland, have developed a help platform – for which they have now been awarded.
(Photo: Katrin Staudt I KaWa Photography)
The “WERTE IT” project will be launched at the University of Siegen in December. It aims to help make workplaces in companies, organizations and administrations more inclusive. The Siegen project team is receiving funding of around 900,000 euros for the project
Four members of the chair “Business Informatics, in particular IT for the aging society”, of Prof. Dr. Claudia Müller, participated in the 17th Berlin Method Meeting (BMT) on July 29 and 30, 2022, where they presented the participatory research design anchored at the chair.
David Struzek, Richard Paluch, Dennis Kirschsieper, and Sven Bittenbinder explained the concept of “PRAXLABS” (https://praxlabs.de/) using four different projects as examples and contrasted the different levels of participation in the different settings. In addition, the researchers reported on common challenges in integrating different stakeholder groups and prepared the many findings in the form of a poster.
The Berlin Method Meeting consists of numerous research workshops and workshops. Richard Paluch and David Struzek presented their research in the research workshops “Qualitative Content Analysis” and “Participatory Research”. Richard Paluch discussed the “Development of a Reflective Instrument to Evaluate Robotic Systems for Nursing” in the “Qualitative Content Analysis” session. David Struzek presented “Development of socio-technical support systems for motivating and maintaining physical activity in public spaces ” in the “Participatory Research” event.
The Berlin Method Meeting has been imparting knowledge from the field of qualitative research and ethnography since 2005 (further information: https://berliner-methodentreffen.de/).
From the left: Richard Paluch, Dennis Kirschsieper, David Struzek and Sven Bittenbinder in front of their poster „Teilhabe durch Technik? Entwicklung von technischen Artefakten mit und für vulnerable Gruppen“
The project iDESkmu (“inclusive document management systems and enterprise content management systems in small and medium-sized enterprises, administrations and self-help associations”) will present the DMS sample workplace online at the Berufsbildungswerk (BBW) of the Landschaftsverband Westfalen-Lippe (LWL) in Soest on 02.06.2022 from 10:00.
In the project “iDESkmu” researches and tests since 2019 different approaches to maintain and create barrier-free IT workplaces with a focus on blind and visually impaired people and document management systems.
In the consortium, the University of Siegen, Chair of “Business Informatics, in particular IT for the aging society” around Mrs. (Vertr.) Prof’in Dr. Claudia Müller, takes over, among other things, the practical research, consisting of requirement analyses, participatory design and conception methods as well as the evaluation of the results and their sustainability.
The DMS sample workstation is an outcome of the project, which will run until August 2022.
On December 7, 2021, the Service Office Inclusive University of Siegen, in cooperation with the Center for the Advancement of University Teaching, is organizing a project day on the topic of inclusion in line with the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, which has been proclaimed as a day of remembrance by the United Nations.
Topic: How can digitality be designed to be inclusive and barrier-free in the future?
Sven Bittenbinder, research associate at the department of Information Systems, in especially IT for the aging society under the direction of Prof. Dr. Claudia Müller, will report on the research project iDESkmu (www.projekt-ideskmu.de).
In addition, there will be many other interesting and exciting presentations on the topic of inclusion and accessibility.
The event is an “open” event. So you can simply join in as you wish via Zoom (video conference).
Researchers at the University of Siegen together with actors from sports, dance, arts and the city of Siegen work to bring the joy of movement into the city with the use of digital applications on site.
How can we encourage more enjoyment of movement, especially in the city? And how can digital tools help – whether alone or with others, at home or in the office or outside? To answer these questions about sports and exercise in urban space, experts from the University of Siegen are collaborating with relevant local stakeholders. (more…)
Today, user-centered and participatory design methods have become indispensable in modern HCI research and user-centered development. Use of such methods can help us to gain realistic insights into current practices, co-produce sustainable concepts and solutions and understand how digital tools can be appropriated in a more sustainable way.
For this reason, the Chair of Information Systems, especially IT for the Ageing Society, is organizing an introduction to the topic of qualitative research on Wednesday, December 2nd, 2020 from 2 p.m. until 4 p.m.
We cordially invite you to be there!
In the iDESkmu project (including document management systems and enterprise content management systems in medium-sized companies; website www.projekt-ideskmu.de) we want to promote the availability of barrier-free software and raise awareness of its necessity.
An important milestone for this goal is to make the creation and testing of barrier-free software as easy as possible, even for people without expert knowledge. To this end, the University of Siegen and the project partners organized a design workshop in October and discussed with the future target groups what is necessary to simplify accessibility tests. (more…)
Welcome to the new semester at the University of Siegen!
Last week at the Meet & Greet our colleagues and we, the research group “Business Informatics, especially IT for the Aging Society” introduced ourselves. We not only talked about ourselves, but also about our projects and the teaching offered.
As requested by you, we are happy to provide you with the presentation and the information it contains
